The Cure - essential al***s

I think that's broadly true. These days they seem a bit like Bowie or Costello in that every new album is hailed as a 'return to form' but actually...isn't.

Having said that they're one of the few bands who've been around long enough to have different phases that appeal to differnet people - a new wavy phase, a gothy phase a poppy phase, etc.

Suggest the essential albums are:

1. Boys Don't Cry - the first album with the great first singles
2. Seventeen Seconds - personal favorite, and with their best song ever 'A Forest'
3. Pornography - Possibly the best Cure album. Not exactly cheery though....
4. Head on the Door - Includes second-best single 'Inbetween Days' and lots of other, slightly rockier things.

Personally I hated the whole 'Lullaby', gloomy shuffly thing, where the standard of Cure fans fell dramatically. But I have to admit to liking the 'Mixed Up' remix album, so what do I know....

Actually, if you can bring yourself to buy compilations, there was a Cure singles compilation called "Standing on Beach", which may be a good place to start.

Tim

This post made me realise that The Cure have been around for 25 years – I feel very old indeed!

“Disintegration” is majestic – there ain’t many bands I can think of that can produce such a good tenth album. “Pornography” & “Seventeen Seconds” are right up there too. “Pornography” edges it due to the inclusion of “A Strange Day”. Nobody's mentioned "Faith" yet, from the same era. I actually like most of “Wish”, I’ve always thought of it as “Disintegration Part II”

There are a couple to approach with caution too. “Wild Mood Swings” and “Kiss Me³” spring to mind, and “The Top” is an absolute stinker – maybe because Simon Gallup had gone AWOL at the time?

As Tim says, “Standing On A Beach” is hard to beat if you’re just looking for a starter. In retrospect, they are a very good singles band indeed.

Enjoy!

Kev.

[This message was edited by toad on Sat 23 October 2004 at 15:42.]

I've been a fan since 79...

Three Imaginary Boys - punky, poppy debut album

Boys Don't Cry - American release of TIB with the early singles on it (Boys Don't Cry, Killing an Arab and Jumping Someone Elses Train)

Seventeen Seconds - defined the Cure's way of making albums, includes 'A Forest' so is highly recommended

Faith - probably the most depressing Cure album but very good all the same

Pornography - dark, violent almost unlistenable until you tune in to Bob's wavelength then it is superb

Head on The Door - slightly patchy but has the excellent 'Night Like This'

The Top - from the Cure's poppy period, not a classic

Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me - another from the poppy period (i.e. not so much to my taste)

Wish - the highs are very good (end, apart, from the edge of the deep green sea) the lows "Friday I'm in Love" - ugh

Mixed up - has remixed versions of many Cure classic songs but not one for the purest

Disintegration - the Cure's masterwork. One of the finest albums ever.

Wild Mood Swings - apart from the opening track this is the Cure album to avoid like the plague

Bloodflowers - IMO this was a return to form, dark and brooding again

The Cure - the latest one is probably the most violent since Pornography.

The must have Cure albums are "Disintegration", "Pornography" and "Seventeen Seconds"

Thanks Tim, Alex, Toad and Seagull - the forum is great for this sort of stuff.

Andy

This is my 'Nick and Throb play D&D' moment, but I need to show my credentials. I have all the Cure albums up to Disintegration, a load of vinyl bootlegs, seen them a bunch of times, worn untied basketball boots, coloured my hair, and worn eye makeup*.

Disintegration is toss; their attempt at redoing Pornography with an overenthusiastic keyboard player. I think it's a big step back from Kiss Me.

Three Imaginary Boys
Seventeen Seconds
Faith
Head On the Door
Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me

Are all the must haves, but if it was going to be one, it would be Kiss Me. All IMO, obviously.

*...but I did have the sense to throw my Fields of the Nephilim album in the bin.

I have to agree with Mekon re Disintegration, it was never an album that I really rated. (I also did the died black back-combed hair etc).
Basically you can't go to wrong with any of the albums up to Disintegration, but 17 Seconds is my favourite.
The new album is rather good, too.

Would it be plebian to recommend their singles collection!?
I have to say that I have probably listened to Kiss Me more than any other Cure album, but can understand why, to some, it's one to approach with caution. I have to agree with Mekon that I thought Distintegration was a step back from Kiss Me. Still, Disintegration is pretty damn good though.
Simon

quote:

---

Originally posted by AlexG:
Disintegration is possibly one of the greatest things ever recorded.

---

Never a truer word spoken, IMHO. 'Same deep water as you' - simply majestic.

quote:

---

Originally posted by AlexG:
Pornography is superb. So is the album.

---

Hee hee

jon

Andy; If you want to try a 'Worst Of' - 'Staring At The Sea: The Singles' is a good compilation.

Albums wise for me:-

'Three Imaginary Boys' and '17 Seconds'.

Their 80's stuff has a stark beauty - uneasy listening to be sure.

John.

Another dyed black hair (when I had hair) old cure fan..

Essential:
-Boys don't cry (three imaginary boys)
-Seventeen seconds (a classic)
-Faith (much more moody and atmospheric than Seventeen seconds)
-Pornography (Mad Bob Smith crying out all his frustations)
-Disintegration (heavy and very moody)
-The Cure live (Charlotte sometimes)

Not so essential:
-The Top (I never play this record anymore)
-Kiss me, kiss me, kiss me ( Hmmmmm...)
-The head on the door ( only A night like this is a classic IMO)

I don't rate the rest of the albums (bloodflowers,Mixed up etc)very high, altough I should have a listen to the new one.

Rob.

This is getting interesting!

Have picked as initial buys (definites):

Three Imaginary Boys
Seventeen Seconds
Ponography
Disintegration

Possibles:

Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me
Faith
Latest one

I'm going to Cardiff tomorrow and will try to get hold of some of these.

Watch this space.

Andy

Andy,

Just bought the latest Cure. Now spinning and the first impressions are that's quite good but not for starters.But definitely worth a listen.

Rob.

I forgot to mention that they are apparently remixing the Cure's back catalogue for release next year.

I was thinking of getting Disintegration on CD to get the two songs that are missing from the vinyl version. I discovered these were missing when I got the Trilogy DVD where they play Pornography, Disintegration and Bloodflowers in their entirety.

Andy

It was 'Signify' reminded me as Porcupine Tree are/have been doing the same with their back catalogue. Did you get the one with the bonus disc?

See recent PT thread for recommendations for PT, if you can find it that is.

Ended up with Three Imaginary Boys and Pornography. First impressions good: liked the short poppy songs on TIB and the more mature Porno. Will definetly get some more.

Don't quite know how I missed The Cure the first time round - all I can put it down to is that I was busy with career and family. Now my career's down the pan and the boys have left home. Better late than never...

Seagull - The PT album Signify is the remastered one with the extra disc - Insignificance - demos etc. Haven't played this one yet but enjoyed Signify - a Pink Floyd for the 90s sort of.

Andy

Hi.
You can also look at www.bol.com and listen to a few songs of the cure.
And than you can decid what you like!!!!

Maria

There is a new album out of the Cure.
Greatest hits. a good starter maybe

maria

The Cure were the best band of the 80's.

Their music perfectly captured my downbeat moods.

Utterly depressing.

Glorious!

jon

Jon

Comparisons are odious but what about The Smiths, Joy Division, New Order, U2............. etc, etc - all excellent bands.

Andy

Cocteau Twins, Magazine, Echo and the Bunnymen, Simple Minds, Associates...

Crap decade wasn't it the eighties.

I agree with Jon, The Cure were the best.

I used to have a best friend who insisted The Smiths were the best band of the 80's, but I guess it's a bit like hifi really - each to their own (ears).

Of the bands you mentioned Andy, U2 had their moments and I'm more familiar with New Order than Joy Division - though I've heard great tracks by both bands.

As I said earlier, though, I just felt the Cure were so much on my wavelength, basically cos I was so bloody depressed all the time - and royally got the piss taken out of me for that reason!

Seagull mentioned the Cocteaus - as it happens I am fond of their stuff and have a couple of albums of theirs on vinyl. A bit hit & miss but I do like them.

jon

The best starting album from The Cure is Kiss me, kiss me, kiss me (If only tonight we could sleep - one of my favourite songs) IMO. The second is Wish. Then Pornography, Faith and Paris (a really good live album). However, the best brand is the Joy Division, but it is another story...

Hi Ivan

This board is a bit more friendly than the other one (as long as you don't mention a certain female American singer).

I've got a fair collection of Cure albums now and my favourite (at the moment) is Seventeen Seconds closely followed by their first, Three Imaginary Boys.

Joy Division seem to have been a huge influence on the early Cure, listen to the bass lines and arrangements on T.I.Boys.

Andy

There is also a second "best of" collection called "Galore", which follows on from where "Staring at the sea" left off.
With a band like the Cure, a best of can be a good starting point for deciding which phases of the bands development align with your own preferences. You can then build your collection from there.
My own fave is "Disintegration", I just love "Pictures of you".Regards,
Steve O.